The present disclosure is directed to walking machines, and more particularly to large walking machines operable for transporting massive and heavy loads, upwards of thousands of tons, over the ground. These are designed as non-wheeled, power-driven vehicles fabricated from iron and steel, and are very useful for carrying and sequentially transporting huge structures such as oil drilling rigs and their support or service modules to pre-drilled, ground-installed conductor pipes. This is may be done prior to drilling well bores in fields undergoing oil exploration, or over existing well bores in previously-worked old fields, or the like.
The present disclosure is directed to a walking machine and its substructure for transporting heavy machinery or equipment from one location to another, and more particularly to a walking machine which can be moved along a straight line or also steered in different directions. The walking machine is steered so that it is moved to align or orient equipment such as a drilling rig precisely above a well bore, or move to another area entirely. The lifting assemblies provided on the walking machine incorporate a design enabling the main beams supporting the substructure to present a low profile.